- present participle of invite.
inviting
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inviting
Explanation
Inviting things are very appealing. Your host's inviting smile makes you truly feel welcomed and even a little bit charmed. On a hot summer day, nothing looks quite as inviting as a cool, sparkling swimming pool, and when you come inside after walking home in the snow, a cozy fire in the wood stove is also quite inviting. Something inviting promises comfort or pleasure. The word comes from invitation, from the Latin invitare, "invite, treat, or entertain," which originally meant "be pleasant toward."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Angela Salmon, head of education at the Nature Commission and a member of the meeting group said inviting sixth formers to share the environmental issues that mattered to them "makes perfect sense".
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Mr. Hanle told Congressional investigators that CJP didn’t directly invite judges to its events and that the Federal Judicial Center was “charged with inviting the judges.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Daniel described the moment they received a phone call inviting them to Windsor Castle as "unbelievable".
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
After taking over in 2024, Chief Executive Brian Niccol enacted a turnaround plan to make Starbucks stores more inviting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
The forest is calling me, inviting me to explore.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
